Victoria appoints new Pro Vice-Chancellor

Victoria appoints new Pro Vice-Chancellor

Professor Deborah Willis has been appointed as Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences at Victoria University.

Professor Willis brings a strong commitment to Victoria’s core academic values and considerable experience in academic management, says Vice-Chancellor Professor Stuart McCutcheon.

“Professor Willis has a long-standing relationship with Victoria and I am pleased to welcome her to her new position with us. I have no doubt that she will be a real asset to the Faculty, and look forward to supporting her in the development of one of our major academic units.”

As PVC, Professor Willis is a member of the University’s senior management team reporting directly to the Vice-Chancellor. She is the line manager for the Heads of the Schools of Art History, Classics & Religious Studies; Asian & European Languages & Cultures; Education; English, Film & Theatre; History, Philosophy, Political Science & International Relations; Linguistics & Applied Language Studies; Music; Social & Cultural Studies and the Graduate School of Nursing & Midwifery.

As Dean, she will be responsible for the academic programmes in the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, chairing the Faculty Board and managing the enrolment staff.

Professor Willis is looking forward to the challenge of her new position and sees a number of opportunities to further enhance the high quality programmes and excellent research. – suggest para stops with research that the faculty already offers.
“I’m hoping to develop additional interdisciplinary research and teaching links across the faculty, build on our already strong presence in Wellington, particularly in creative and performing arts areas, and support the faculty’s high quality research based programmes. The main challenge will be to ensure continued quality education is provided given the funding pressures universities are under.”

Professor Willis has worked in the education field for more than 20 years. During that time she has been a Senior Lecturer in Victoria’s School of Education specialising in curriculum, assessment and evaluation issues, Director of the University Teaching Development Centre and Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Academic).

She is a member of the National Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards committee and represents Victoria University on the NZVCC’s Committee on University Academic Programmes (CUAP).

Her areas of research interest include student assessment and the relationship between teaching and research. In 2003, Professor Willis was invited to join the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.

Professor Willis will begin her new position on 1 March 2004.

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